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TRUMP-STONE
Trump commutes longtime friend Roger Stone's prison sentence
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has commuted the prison sentence of his longtime friend Roger Stone. The president intervened in extraordinary fashion Friday in a criminal case that was central to the Russia investigation and that concerned the president's own conduct. The move came just days before Stone was to begin serving a 40-month prison sentence for lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstructing the House investigation into whether Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia in 2016. The action underscores the president’s lingering rage over special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation and is part of a continuing effort to rewrite the narrative of a probe that has shadowed the White House from the outset.
AP-US-MISSING-SOLDIER-TEXAS
Army: Independent probe coming after Fort Hood soldier death
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — U.S. Army officials say they will begin an independent review of the command climate at Fort Hood following calls for a more thorough investigation into the killing of a soldier from the Texas base. Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy said Friday he will direct the review and that it will be conducted by an independent panel of congressional representatives selected in collaboration with League of United Latin American Citizens. The panel will examine claims and historical data of discrimination, harassment and assault. The review comes after the death of 20-year-old Spc. Vanessa Guillen. Investigators say she was bludgeoned to death at Fort Hood by fellow a fellow soldier.
AP-VIRUS-OUTBREAK-THE-LATEST
The Latest: China rejects food imports after virus detected
New coronavirus cases have dropped sharply in China, and authorities are turning their attention to concerns that the virus could spread through imported food. Those worries have risen since a June outbreak in Beijing that was linked to the city’s largest wholesale market. Testing has been stepped up on incoming food shipments, and on Friday customs officials said they are halting imports from three Ecuadorian shrimp producers after tests showed the virus present in recent shipments. Authorities say the coronavirus was detected on the outer packaging of the shipments July 3. The inner packaging and the shrimp themselves tested negative. Products from the three companies received after March 12 have been ordered to be returned or destroyed.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW YORK
NY eases visitor ban aimed at curbing virus in nursing homes
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Certain nursing homes in New York can allow visitors with restrictions starting July 15 as the state eases a ban aimed at limiting spread of COVID-19 among vulnerable elderly residents. Only nursing homes and long-term care facilities that have been “without COVID-19” for at least 28 days can allow limited visits, according to state Department of Health Commissioner Howard Zucker. It was also unclear how many of the state’s approximately 600 nursing homes would qualify to open up visitors. Roughly 500 nursing homes had reported COVID-19 cases among staffers in June, according to state survey data released this week.
FACEBOOK-APP CRASHES
Facebook's software kit to blame for popular apps crashing
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Widespread crashes of popular apps running on the iPhone’s iOS operating system — including Tinder, Spotify and Pinterest — has served as a reminder that Facebook is still tracking you through your phone using sophisticated software, even if you’re not browsing the social network. Early Friday, users of the apps reported crashes when they tried to open them up. Facebook attributed the problem, which was quickly fixed, to a bug in its software development kit, a tool developers use to integrate their apps with Facebook. Facebook’s SDK caused similar crashes in May.
COLLEGE ADMISSIONS BRIBERY
California couple agrees to guilty pleas in college scam
BOSTON (AP) — A California couple has agreed to plead guilty to paying $250,000 to get their daughter into the University of Southern California as a fake volleyball recruit. The U.S. Attorney’s office in Boston said in a statement that Diane Blake and Todd Blake will plead guilty in front of a judge at a future date. News outlets previously reported that the Ross, California, couple had initially pleaded not guilty. The couple was accused of tapping William “Rick” Singer to facilitate their daughter's admission into USC. The university had no comment. Lawyers for the couple didn't immediately respond to an email.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-TEXAS
Virus surge visible across Texas: 'The tsunami is here'
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas has surpassed 10,000 hospitalized coronavirus patients for the first time. The new marker Friday comes at the end of what has been the deadliest week in Texas since the pandemic began. Texas' Republican senators, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, joined in a letter Friday asking the nation's Health and Human Services secretary for a field hospital in the Rio Grade Valley. Hospitals have become overwhelmed with patients along the Texas-Mexico border and doctors say they're running out of room.
UNITED NATIONS-SYRIA-HUMANITARIAN
UN fails for 2nd time to agree on Syria aid from Turkey
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A divided U.N. Security Council has failed for a second time to agree on extending humanitarian aid deliveries to Syria’s mainly rebel-held northwest from Turkey as the current U.N. mandate was ending, leaving nearly 3 million people at risk of losing aid. Russia and China vetoed a U.N. resolution backed by the 13 other Security Council members that would have maintained two crossing points from Turkey for six months. Meanwhile, a Russian-drafted resolution that would have authorized just one border crossing for a year failed to receive the minimum nine “yes” votes. Consultations continued to find a solution.
MICHAEL COHEN-PRISON
Ex-Trump fixer Cohen returned to prison where sentence began
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump's former fixer Michael Cohen is back in the same federal prison he was in before the coronavirus pandemic prompted his early release. Cohen was transferred late Thursday to the prison in Otisville where he had been serving a three-year sentence for tax evasion, lying to Congress and campaign finance crimes. Cohen had been furloughed in May amid concerns about the virus but was arrested Thursday after federal authorities said he refused to wear an ankle monitor during home confinement. Cohen's lawyers said he objected to authorities forbidding him from speaking with the media and publishing a tell-all book.
RACIAL INJUSTICE-FLAG PROTESTS
Protester: Man pulls gun on anniversary of flag’s removal
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Competing groups gathered in front of South Carolina’s capitol building to mark the five-year anniversary of the removal of the Confederate battle flag from Statehouse grounds. Counterprotesters say a passing driver pointed a gun at them Friday morning and said “All Lives Matter,” before driving away. A handful of members of the State House Honour Guard gathered outside the state capitol. Some were clad in dress uniform. But no signs of the divisive flag itself were seen. The group instead unfurled the official state flag. About two dozen counterprotesters were present. They said they were opposing the battle emblem widely seen as a symbol of racism and hatred.
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